Judge: Trial for 3 ex-Penn State officials

All 3 men have pleaded not guilty

POSTED: 3:21 PM Jul 30 2013UPDATED: 9:15 PM Jul 30 2013

(CNN) -

A judge ruled Tuesday that Penn State's former president and two senior administrators will face trial on obstruction of justice and other charges related to the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.

The decision followed a two-day preliminary hearing in Harrisburg that wrapped up on Tuesday.

State prosecutors allege that former President Graham Spanier, former Athletic Director Tim Curley and former Senior Vice President Gary Schultz all knew about two allegations made against Sandusky in 1998 and in 2001 but lied about their knowledge when a grand jury convened several years later.

All three men have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.

Sandusky, 68, was convicted in June 2012 on 45 counts of child sex abuse, ranging from corruption of minors to involuntary deviate sexual intercourse. He was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison.

A 267-page review by former FBI Director Louis Freeh blamed late head coach Joe Paterno, Spanier, Curley and Schultz for allegedly taking part in a cover-up to avoid bad publicity.

The scandal led to Spanier's ouster and shocked the nation after Freeh's team concluded that the school's top administrators had "empowered" Sandusky, the former defensive coordinator for the football team, to continue his abuse.

In July 2012, the NCAA levied unprecedented sanctions against the university, including a fine of $60 million. It also stripped 14 seasons of football victories from Paterno.

Paterno died in 2012, his iconic reputation in tatters.

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